MARS EXTENDS PARTNERSHIP WITH WASHINGTON SPIRIT

Mars becomes the Official Petcare Partner of the Washington Spirit, Building on Mars Petcare Purpose - A Better World for Pets

MCLEAN, Va., March 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Washington Spirit and Mars, Incorporated, the maker of beloved snacking, food, and pet products and services, announced today a partnership extension through the 2025 season. While the SNICKERS® brand sponsored the team in 2024, Mars is extending its partnership and will become the team's Official Petcare Partner in 2025. The Mars logo will appear on game jersey sleeves, on stadium signage, and on Washington Spirit social channels through the "Mars Moment of the Match" post-game highlight, which will be shared after the team wins or ties.

"We are proud to wear the Mars logo on our game jerseys and thrilled to expand our partnership with Mars, deepening our collective ability to drive impact and foster meaningful connections across the DMV," said Washington Spirit CEO Kim Stone. "As part of our continued partnership, we are excited to bring new creative and innovative activations and experiences to our fans and their beloved pets for the upcoming season."

Through the partnership, Mars will join the Washington Spirit's community donation program and give twenty tickets to each home game to local organizations in Washington D.C. Additionally, Mars and its Petcare brands, including PEDIGREE®, ROYAL CANIN®, VCA Animal Hospitals®, BluePearl Pet Hospital™, and BANFIELD PET HOSPITAL®, among others, will sponsor the team's 'Pitchside Pups' Theme Night on May 2, where fans can bring their dogs to the game, and Fan Appreciation Night on October 5.

"Pets bring people together and strengthen communities, much like sports. Our partnership with the Washington Spirit allows us to connect with the local community in a meaningful way, creating experiences for pet-parent fans and their pets to enjoy together," said Alanna McDonald, Regional President, Mars Pet Nutrition North America – a division of Mars, Incorporated. "We're proud to continue this collaboration and advance pet-friendly initiatives where Mars is globally headquartered."

There's growing evidence that pets can have positive impacts on mental health, just like playing sports, by encouraging exercise, helping reduce stress and building social connections. Mars recently launched the Pets and Wellbeing Study program, which is set be the world's largest research program on how cats and dogs' impact mental health. Additionally, Washington D.C. is one of 180 cities nationwide certified by Mars BETTER CITIES FOR PETS™ program, which works to help cities become more pet friendly. To learn more about Mars, its brands, and its efforts to improve life for pets, visit Mars.com or check out LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.

The Washington Spirit kicks off their 2025 season today, March 14, with an away game against the Houston Dash. The team's first home game is on March 22 at Audi Field against the Kansas City Current. For the full schedule, theme night details, and to buy tickets, fans can visit WashingtonSpirit.com.

About The Washington Spirit
The Washington Spirit is the professional women's soccer team based at Audi Field in Washington, D.C. Launched in 2012, the Spirit plays in the National Women's Soccer League, the premier women's soccer competition in North America. For more information about the Spirit, visit WashingtonSpirit.com and follow the club on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. 

About Mars, Incorporated
Mars, Incorporated is driven by the belief that the world we want tomorrow starts with how we do business today. As a $50bn+ family-owned business, our diverse and expanding portfolio of leading pet care products and veterinary services support pets all around the world and our quality snacking and food products delight millions of people every day. We produce some of the world's best-loved brands including ROYAL CANIN^®, PEDIGREE^®, WHISKAS^®, CESAR^®, DOVE^®, EXTRA^®, M&M's^®, SNICKERS^® and BEN'S ORIGINAL™. Our international networks of pet hospitals, including BANFIELD™, BLUEPEARL™, VCA™ and ANICURA™ span preventive, general, specialty, and emergency veterinary care, and our global veterinary diagnostics business ANTECH^® offers breakthrough capabilities in pet diagnostics. The Mars Five Principles—Quality, Responsibility, Mutuality, Efficiency and Freedom—inspire our 150,000 Associates to act every day to help create a better world for people, pets and the planet. To learn more about Mars, its brands, and its efforts to improve life for pets, visit Mars.com or check out our LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube pages.

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SOURCE Mars, Incorporated